Watcher in the Night
by Thundergryphon
Summary: Rico/Kowalski-Lately Kowalski had the feeling that someone was watching him sleep. But that's silly. Why would anyone want to watch him sleep?


Watcher in the Night

By: ChaosToGlory

A/N Welcome to my first Penguins fanfic! I have several others planned after this one, so enjoy ;)

This story is mostly Rico/Kowalski, but it has the tiniest hints of Skipper/Julien.

Disclaimer: I don't own the Penguins of Madagascar (though if I did the yaoi fangirls would rejoice).

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Kowalski had spent the past few nights fighting the unsettling feeling that he was being watched. That was ridiculous of course, as his three team mates were the only ones who had access to their room. Although Marlene and the lemurs always did manage to somehow bypass their security systems and would come barging in whenever they pleased.

The strategist turned onto his side to face the open side of his bunk. He could have sworn he saw something move, but when he peered over the edge, there was nothing there. Unnerved, he managed to drift back into a dreamless sleep.

---------------------------------

Kowalski had been losing sleep over this whole affair. Why would anyone want to watch him sleep in the first place? There was nothing exciting or unusual about someone who was asleep.

"Kowalski, status report."

The tall penguin stood at attention and quickly flipped through his notebook.

"Everything seems to be in order Skipper. Our base has passed inspection and is still as impenetrable as ever. In addition, Rico, Private, and myself have cleaned it from top to bottom and have double checked for any weaknesses."

"Excellent work boys, excellent work. I say we're all over due for some much needed R&R. You have the rest of the day to yourself boys." Skipper waved his flipper as he turned and headed towards the outside of the habitat.

-

"Where are you going Skippa," asked Private, curious as to what his leader was doing.

"That's classified information soldier. However, if a situation does arise, I'll be somewhere around the lemur habitat." With that he headed off.

"Why do you suppose he's going there?" asked the youngest penguin in the group.

Kowalski pulled out his notebook. "I have my suspicions, but I will refrain from saying anything until I can produce some concrete evidence."

Rico heaved for a few seconds before coughing up a block of concrete.

"Not that kind of concrete, Rico," sighed Kowalski. "I don't even _want_ to know what all this stuff is doing to your digestive system."

The weapons expert just smiled.

-

Kowalski shook his head. Honestly, storing all the stuff in there just couldn't be good for Rico.

"Well, since the zoo is closed today, I think I'm going to do a bit of sight seeing. Would either of you care to accompany me on my excursion?"

Private shook his head, but Rico nodded enthusiastically.

"Very well then. We'll be seeing you later Private."

"Bye guys," he waved.

-

"Well Rico, where shall we go first?" Kowalski asked his friend.

Rico grunted and shrugged. Personally he didn't care where they went, as long as he got to spend time alone with Kowalski.

"Very well then. I believe there were some baby flamingos that hatched yesterday. It would be interesting to monitor their growth process from chick to adult. How about we head there first?"

Rico nodded enthusiastically and the pair headed off to the flamingo pond. They had a fun time playing with the chicks, and Kowalski made sure he took accurate notes and sketches of the babies.

After leaving the flamingos they strolled around the zoo for a while, even peeking in on the lemurs. Just as Kowalski suspected Mort and Maurice were no where to be seen, but Skipper and Julien were both laying on the moon bounce, eating popcorn from the same bowl.

-

Their day ended with the two of them sitting on the zoo wall watching the sun set over the city skyline. Kowalski spent several minutes explaining why there were so many colors in the sky whenever the sun set or rose, and how the sun didn't actually move; the earth did.

Rico only understood a little bit of it, but he was too busy staring at Kowalski to pay attention anyway. He had always had some unexplained fascination with the strategist, and for the past year had found it turning into more of an attraction. The problem was, he wasn't entirely sure how to tell Kowalski what he was feeling. Actually, talking at all was another problem, one which he was a little sensitive and embarrassed about at times.

-

"Rico? Have you been listening to anything I've said?"

Rico nodded quickly, wanting to please his friend.

"Well, even though I don't entirely believe you, I do have a question to ask. Have you ever felt like you were being watch? Such as, when you are asleep, for example?"

Rico thought for a moment before shaking his head and replying, "Uhh ahh, uhh ahh."

"Well that _is_ odd," replied the taller penguin. "Skipper and Private do not seem to have experienced this feeling either. I must conclude that either this 'night watcher' is exclusively after me, or I'm just going crazy."

Rico just grinned and patted his friend's flipper for comfort.

"Well Rico, it's getting dark. We should return to base now."

Both penguins jumped down from the wall and slid all the way back to their home.

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Kowalski spent the next day pouring over the surveillance tapes. For once he was glad of Skipper's acute paranoia. The tapes showed no one entering or leaving the base during the last month of nights, which brought Kowalski to an unsettling conclusion. If no one from the outside was watching him sleep, that meant that one of his own teammates was indeed his "night watcher". But who? And more importantly, why?

Kowalski wasn't sure if directly asking the group was a good idea. Most likely who ever it was would deny it. The best approach would be to catch the penguin in the act. Kowalski got a bit of a lucky break a few days later when Skipper announced that he would be gone for the entire night.

-

"Kowalski, you'll be in charge while I'm gone, though I don't expect any trouble."

"But Skippa, where are you going?" Private kept asking.

"Don't you worry about it soldier. It's classified information. Night boys," he waved as he headed out the door.

"Seriously guys, where is he going?" Private asked the two remaining penguins. Rico and Kowalski just looked at each other and smiled.

"What Skipper does with his time is his own business. I suggest you don't go poking around, unless you think you can handle the answer."

"Wha-?" Private couldn't understand why the two older penguins wouldn't tell him what was going on.

"Right, I believe it's time for bed. Good night."

The three penguins settled into their bunks. Kowalski was feeling some butterflies in his stomach. Tonight was the night he would find out if it was Skipper who was watching him sleep, or one of the other two. He seriously doubted it was Skipper in the first place, but one cannot be too careful.

-

He felt it. Eyes just watching him, almost boring into his soul. And yes, when he suddenly flipped over he saw movement and heard someone jumping back into their bunk. So his hypothesis was correct; Skipper wasn't watching him sleep. That left Rico and Private, and based on his knowledge of the two, he was 90% sure that it wasn't Private who was watching him.

Now the question was, why Rico? Secretly Kowalski was a little relieved that it was Rico after all. For reasons that he couldn't adequately explain, lately he seemed to get this 'happy' feeling whenever he was around the explosives expert. It wasn't like eating fish happy, more of a 'content and peaceful' happy.

Kowalski wasn't sure if this feeling could be defined as "love", but even though he wasn't usually overly emotional, he was hoping to find out. Now he needed to figure out the best way to deal with Rico. He didn't think a direct confrontation would be the best response, so now he would have to catch his friend in the act. Kowalski decided to give it a try tonight.

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It was approximately 1 A.M. Kowalski was feigning sleep, facing the open end of his bunk, waiting. He had a small flashlight tucked away in his flippers, ready to flick the light on at a second's notice.

He listened in the silence, until he head the sound of someone shifting around in their bunk. Almost too quietly for him to hear, someone placed their feet on the ground. Since Rico had the bottom bunk and Kowalski didn't hear anyone drop down from above him, he now knew without a doubt that his "night watcher" was Rico.

-

Kowalski cracked opened an eye in time to see Rico place his flippers on the edge of the bunk and begin his nightly ritual. Kowalski quickly turned on the flash light and pointed it directly at Rico. The other penguin was taken by surprise and gave a rough gasp as his fell backwards.

Kowalski hadn't planned this far ahead. Now that he had caught Rico, he wasn't sure what to do next. He peer down, the light still shining on Rico. The other penguin looked panicked, and a little scared. Odd.

"Rico," whispered Kowalski, trying to sound firm at the same time, "we will discuss this in the morning." With that he flicked off the flashlight and rolled over in his bunk. He heard Rico crawl back to bed, but it sounded like the other penguin was whimpering.

This was odd; Rico wasn't one to be upset like that. Kowalski drifted off to sleep, wondering what exactly he was going to tell the weapons expert in the morning.

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The next morning was pretty awkward for both Rico and Kowalski. Since it was a weekday, that meant there were lots of visitors that the penguins had to put on their "cute and cuddly" act for. Kowalski was aware that Rico kept looking at him nervously when he thought the other wasn't watching. Personally Kowalski would have been happy to have gotten it over as soon as possible, but of course he would have to wait until the zoo closed for the day.

Finally after what seemed like days, the last of the visitors left. The penguins all did their traditional round of high fives to celebrate another day of good work. Private had drug out a chair and was settling in to do some sun bathing, while Skipper quietly slipped away, presumably to go visit a certain someone.

Kowalski nodded to Rico, indicating that the other should follow. Rico sighed and fell in step behind the taller penguin. Kowalski headed towards the picnic area at one of the zoo. It was quiet there, and no one would bother them. The two of them stood facing each other, silent for several minutes. Kowalski broke the silence first.

"Now Rico, I would like an explanation for your actions. I fail to understand why you, or anyone for that matter, would want to spend months just watching someone sleep. I don't think there's anything exciting or fascination about the process, and I cannot fathom why anyone would do something like that."

-

Rico was uncertain of how to go about explaining things. Although he could talk a little when he needed too, he didn't think he was able to say the words that he needed. So he attempted to use flipper and face gestures to get his point across.

"Let's see," said Kowalski when he realized what Rico was doing. "You're pointing to me, so obviously you mean me. Now you're putting your flippers underneath your head and snoring; you're pretending to sleep. Ahh, you're referring to myself asleep?"

The other penguin nodded eagerly and continued on.

"And now you're smiling. I'm afraid you've lost me." Rico quickly when though the motions again, this time pointing at Kowalski and smiling.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say it's almost like watching me sleep makes you-happy?"

Rico nodded again, hoping that Kowalski would understand.

"Well that doesn't make any sense! "Sleep" is the bodily function of inducing a trance-like state in which to regenerate energy. Watching one sleep would be positively boring."

-

Rico smacked his head with his flipper. How else was he supposed to explain this? He did love Kowalski, but sometimes the guy was so scientific, it made him look stupid when it came to emotional matters.

Well, if Rico couldn't use words, he supposed actions would have to do. He stepped up to Kowalski, looked deep into his eyes for several seconds, then lowered his head to nuzzle the other penguin's neck feathers. Rico made some soft noises, almost like he was purring.

Kowalski's mind was racing. He _thought_ he now knew the reason that Rico had been watching him for the past few months, but it didn't make sense. _Rico hated all that touchy-feely-emotional stuff_. Although, Kowalski mused, many rules had some exceptions to them. Perhaps he was Rico's exception.

-

"Rico," said the taller penguin as he gently pushed his friend away and looked into his eyes. "Could it be that you have some sort of romantic feelings towards me? Is that what prompted this "watching" of me while I sleep?"

"Yeahhh," replied Rico roughly, hoping that Kowalski wasn't mad at him.

"Well Rico, it seems that I've developed some romantic feelings for you as well."

"Reeearrry?"

"Of course. You are quite handsome you know. Don't look at me like that, I am being completely serious. I also seem to get this 'happy' feeling whenever we're together, like everything is perfect. Though true perfection is an impossibility, I suppose this is close. And," Kowalski lowered his voice a bit, "do not tell the others that secretly, I do enjoy big, loud explosions."

-

Rico grinned and threw himself into Kowalski for a tight hug.

"Ack, not so tight Rico. Though I take it you're okay with this?"

Rico answered by snuggling into Kowalski's embrace, gentling preening his neck feathers.

"Right. I hope you understand that this does not mean you can watch me sleep every night. It's a bit unsettling after a while."

"Kaaaay."

Kowalski smiled. He had to admit that for the first time in a while, he felt truly happy and content, and it looked like Rico felt the same.

"I suppose we'd better get back to base before we're missed. What is it Rico?"

The other penguin smiled innocently and threw his flippers up in the air. "BOOM!!"

Kowalski chuckled. "Alright, we'll blow _one_ thing up before going back."

He grabbed a hold of Rico's flipper and the two of them headed home, side by side.

THE END!!!

Thanks in advance for the reads/reviews. I do have somewhat of a sequel planned (though it could be a stand alone) so I'm hoping to get that written soon. I must say, this is the most fun I've had writing a fanfic in ages!!!


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